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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25136950">The Book of Esther</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOphelia/pseuds/QueenOphelia'>QueenOphelia</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Divergence - Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The First Avenger, slow start it picks up i promise</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 11:06:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,675</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25136950</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOphelia/pseuds/QueenOphelia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's 1942, Esther Cohen is your run of the mill switchboard operator. But that's just a cover for her real job as a code breaker for the Strategic Scientific Reserve. One Friday night, right as her family is about to celebrate Shabbat like they do every week, she gets visited by an Agent from the SSR and is told she is needed at Camp Leigh to help train soldiers to be code breakers and help Howard Stark with his own encryption system for the US and Allies. Shortly upon her arrival, her childhood friend Steve Rogers is sent there for basic training. Her life changes forever when Steve becomes a super soldier and she gets sent to the Western Front and gets thrown into battle.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes/Original Female Character(s), Steve Rogers/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Book of Esther</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Essie fidgeted with the Magen David on her necklace as she glanced at her wristwatch. They were late again, which usually meant one of two things. They had gotten into another fight or were too caught up in their art to notice the time. She stared up at the stone ceiling that seemed to echo every small sound on the busy platform. Just as she was considering whether or not to wait on them this time, eyes now fixed on a crack in the ceiling, she heard the pounding of shoes on the platform, two pairs of them. She turned her head to face the direction the noise was coming from, she saw them head straight towards her. Steve’s eye was swollen. Another fight. She sighed before offering a small wave and a smile. Steve was making a beeline for her, portfolio tucked under his arm and a determined look that never left his face, Bucky wasn’t far behind occasionally trying to grab Steve by the shoulder but even with Steve’s short legs he still managed a quick pace that always kept him just out of reach. She could see Bucky’s lips moving, but even with the acoustics of the platform, she couldn’t make out what he was saying. Whatever it was, it was clearly just meant for Steve. Half smiling to herself, this was a usual sight, either she, Bucky, or both of them would unsuccessfully try to get Steve to slow down and listen.</p><p>“Hey Essie, sorry we’re late,” Steve offered a sheepish smile as he tried to smooth his ill-fitting and disheveled clothes. He was so small for a man his age, barely taller than Essie herself and probably weight just as much as her. But she had to hand it to him. The boy had chutzpah. “We ran into a little trouble—”</p><p>“No no no,” Bucky held up his hand before pointing a finger a Steve, “<em>you</em> got into trouble.<strong> I</strong> had to <em>save</em> <strong>your</strong> scrawny ass. You’ve got the shiner to prove it!”</p><p>“Someone had to teach that guy to show our class’ model some respect!” Since Essie and Steve met in the hospital as children, she had always known him to stand up for others, women in particular. She really admired that about him, growing up in South Brooklyn makes you tough, especially if you’re barely 5 feet tall.</p><p>“Calling him out was enough! You should’ve—”</p><p>“Boys,” Essie groaned. “Steve, on behalf of all women, I thank you for your service in being our defender. Bucky, for once, act more like Steve and beat the ever living shit out of men who treat women poorly instead of letting Steve be the whipping boy, alright?” Bucky looked down at his shoes. He knew she was right. He’d never admit it to anyone but he always admired how Steve took up for others who were being bullied even if it meant he’d get beat up for it. All he had to show for his courage was saving Steve from getting beat to death. He opened his mouth to speak, as the train pulled into the station and cut him off. Bucky took this chance to offer a change of subject as they boarded. “So, uh, how was your day Essie?”</p><p>“It was fine, just the same as always when you work a switch board.” She was lying. She had never worked a day in her life as a switch board operator. She was actually recruited by the Strategic Scientific Reserve as a code breaker, but no one knew this not even her parents whom she still lived with. She always felt guilty lying to the boys. They’ve been extremely close since their childhood. But her job and country required her absolute secrecy. Lose lips sink ships. She shook the thought from her head. “Are you both coming over for dinner tonight?”</p><p>Steve beamed, wincing slightly from his black eye, “You really think we’d miss your mother’s cooking?”</p><p>“Yeah!” Bucky chimed in, “We’re starving artists after all! Plus Steve, Abraham and I need to make plans for this weekend!” Esther grinned, linking arms with her boys and chatted until they reached their stop at the Smith and 9th station. It never ceased to amaze Essie that the boys always insisted on walking her home from the subway, it added an extra 30 minutes to their walk home to Red Hook. She would always insist she could walk herself home, after all it was only a 10 minute walk to her parents’ home in Caroll Gardens. As they walked to Essie’s house, they passed by her father’s pharmacy, Esther’s father was just locking up for the evening when he spotted his daughter walking with the boys. “Esther!” he called out, waving enthusiastically. He was a tall but stocky man with neatly combed graying hair, glasses, and a warm and gentle manner to him.</p><p>“Hi, tate!” She called back as they made their way to meet him in front of the pharmacy.</p><p>“Evening Mr. Cohen,” the boys said in unison. They gave each other a look, they hadn’t planned on saying the exact same greeting at the exact same time. Her father smiled at the boys and when they were close enough he shook both boys hands.</p><p>“Boys so good to see you.” He said with such genuine warmth, as if he hadn’t seen them in years when in reality, they practically grew up in his house and were there nearly every Friday and Saturday. “Steven, your eye. Another fight?” He studied the scrawny boy, before shaking his head with a soft laugh, “Oy, you and your fights… Wait here while I get you something for the swelling and pain.” Her father unlocked the door before darting in and out before Steve could protest.</p><p>“Take these for a few days, it will help you heal faster. I hope Esther has invited you to Shabbos, you boys must come. You are starving artists after all.” He chuckled to himself and clapped the boys on the shoulder with his hands. “Good food always heals the body and soul.”</p><p>“Essie did, thank you, sir,” Steve said, shaking his hand again. “We always look forward to spending time with your family.” “You can always count on us to be there, sir,” Bucky grinned at the pharmacist. “Wonderful, now go home and clean up. Nachama is making iced babka for desert tonight.” This excited the boys who absolutely would kill each other for Essie’s mother’s baking.</p><p>“I can walk Esther home from here, we will see you boys soon.” Essie repeated the same lie to her father she gave the boys earlier as they made the short walk home before her father went on to excitedly talk about a potential partnership with the hospital Steve’s mother worked at before she passed. “It’s a wonderful deal, and good for the neighborhood too I think, we can help more patients in this area get the treatment they deserve, and we can supply the hospital with what it needs. We will find a way to keep with their demands, we can do it.” He was talking more to himself than Essie at that point. He kept talking about the deal as the entered the gate to their brownstone home. Her mother's meticulously kept garden greeting them with vivid and bright colors. As they entered their home both kissed their hand and touched the mezuzah on their door before crossing the threshold.</p><p>Inside, Essie’s mother scrambled around the kitchen like a mad woman, everything was almost ready. Essie set the table. She placed kiddish cup on the table and covered the challah next to her father’s spot and the Shabbos candles in the center of the table. She then went up to her room and changed into a blue dress and touched up her hair and makeup. Essie called for her brother Abraham, but her mother shouted from the kitchen that he was having Shabbos at his new girlfriend’s house. Essie couldn’t see her father sitting in the living room reading his siddur but she knew he was not happy that he would go to his girlfriend’s house for Shabbos before bring her to meet their family.</p><p>Essie’s family was Jewish, but were considered to be secular by the local community because they did not live like the Hasidim in Williamsburg and Crown Heights. They kept Shabbos, held Passover Seders, prayed and kept kosher, but only attended the synagogue for High Holy Days. The golden Magen David Essie wore around her neck was a gift from Steve and Bucky for what would have been her Bat Mitzvah if the synagogue would have allowed it. Her family spoke little Yiddish in the house, something lost when Essie’s great-grandparents assimilated to America. They still chanted the prayers in Hebrew and always celebrated being Jewish, but just weren’t open about it anymore, especially when the War started out of fear Nazis would come for American Jews next. </p><p>WhenEssie’s mother finally came out of the kitchen, but Essie didn’t get to catch a glimpse of her as she ran upstairs to change and freshen up before Steve and Bucky arrived.</p><p>Essie sat at the dining table waiting for the boys to show up or her mother to come back down. She was bored out of her mind, she just wished someone would show up.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.</p><p>Essie stood up, excited for her friends to arrive so they can have Shabbos dinner then go out dancing like usually did. “I’ve got the door!”</p><p>She rushed to the door and fluffed her hair before opening the door with a smile, “Took you boys long enough!”</p><p>But the boys weren’t there. Instead, a beautiful brunette greeted her. “Are you Miss Esther Cohen?” The woman asked in a British accent, discreetly showing her her SSR badge.</p><p>“Yes, am I needed? I can’t leave until tomorrow without raising suspicion.”</p><p>The woman shook her head, “Not this exact moment. I’m Agent Peggy Carter, may I come in?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone! This is my first fan fic in a very long time and something I've been trying to write since last summer. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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